CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
This chapter presents and discusses about the theoretical framework which consist of : grammar, verb, and the difficulties in learning regular and
irregular verb
A. GRAMMAR
1. The Definition of Grammar
The word grammar has many meanings. The definition of grammar will be explained as follows.
According to David Nunan in his book Second Language Teaching and Learning,
Grammar is:
a
. An analysis of the structure of the language, either as encountered in a corpus of speech or writing a performance grammar or as
predictive of a speakers knowledge a competence grammar b. An analysis of that structural property which defines human
language a universal grammar c. A level of structural organization, which can be studied
independently of phonology and semantic.
4
Penny Ur stated in her book “Grammar Practice Activities: a Practical Guide for Teachers” that grammar may be roughly defined as the way a
language manipulates and combines words or a bits of words in order to form longer units of meaning.
5
Craig Hancock sated Grammar is the natural, inherent, meaning- making system of the language, a system that governs the way words come
4
David Nunan, Second Language Teaching and Learning Boston: Massachusatts, Heinle and Heinle Publisher, 1999, p. 97
5
Penny Ur, Grammar Practice Activities: a Practical Guide for Teachers, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1992, p. 4
together to form meaning; Grammar is also the study of the system, the various theories or perspective that attempt to understand and describe it. A
popular idea of grammar – and one that we are discarding – is that grammar is the set of prescriptive rules that limit the language we have available.
6
According to Mark S. LeTourneau, Grammar is the discipline that studies the structure of sentences in human language.
7
While Scott Thornbury said grammar is a system of rules or patterns which describe the formulation
of a language’s sentence.
8
In book, “Language introductory reading” there is a sub chapter discussing about Revolution in Grammar written by W. Francis. He divided
the meaning of grammar into three. Francis writes: The first thing we mean by “grammar” is “the set of formal
patterns in which the words of a language are arranged in order to convey larger meaning”. It is not necessary that we be able to use
them. In fact all speakers of language above the age of five or six know how to use its complex forms of organization with considerable skill;
in this sense of the world –call it ”Grammar 1”-they are thoroughly familiar with its grammar.
The second meaning of “grammar” —call it “Grammar 2”—is “ the branch of linguistic science which is concerned with the
description analysis, and formulization of formal language patters.” Just as gravity was in full operation before Newton’s apple fell, so
grammar in the first sense was in full operation before anyone formulated the first rule that began the history of grammar as a study.
The third sense in which people use the word “grammar” is “linguistic etiquette.” This we may call “grammar3.” The word in this
sense is often coupled with a derogatory adjective: we say that expression “ he ain’t hetre” is “ bad grammar.” What mean is that such
an expression is bad linguistic manners in certain circles? From the
6
Craig Hancock, Meaning Centered Grammar London :Equinox Publishing Ltd, 2005, p. 6
7
Mark S. LeTourneau, English Grammar, Orlando: Harcourt College Publisher, 2001, p. 2
8
Scott Thornbury , Uncovering Grammar, Great Britain: Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2001 , p. 1
point of “Grammar 1”it is faultless; it conforms just as completely to the structural patterns of English as does “he isn’t here.”
9
Then, according to Jeremy Harmer The Grammar of a language is the description of the ways in which words can change their foerms and can be
combined into sentence in that language.
10
Another definition come from Sidney Greenbaum, he stated Grammar refers to the properties and processes that underlie the use of the language—
that underlie the ability of speakers to speak and understand the language.
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2. The Scope of Grammar
Kategori